Hong Kong’s government announced Friday it will begin censoring films screened in Hong Kong for content interpreted as violating the city’s national security law, imposed illegitimately on Hong Kong by China’s ruling Communist Party last June and creating four new crimes — secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. The Hong Kong government issued a statement June 11 revealing that it expanded a pre-existing Film Censorship Ordinance to include “any act or activity which may amount to an offence endangering national security [sic].” “When considering a film as a whole and its effect on the viewers, the censor should have regard to his duties to prevent and suppress acts or activities endangering national security,” the updated ordinance, which was effective immediately as of June 11, stated. The new guidelines additionally cite “the common responsibility of the people of Hong Kong to safeguard the sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity … [Read more...]

Indiana Sen. Mike Braun Michael Braun GOP Sen. Braun says abortion laws should be left up to states Sunday shows preview: Multiple states detect cases of the omicron variant Manchin to vote to nix Biden's vaccine mandate for larger businesses MORE (R) said on Sunday decisions on abortion laws should be left up to state governments to handle, as the Supreme Court weighs a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade. During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Braun told host Chuck Todd Charles (Chuck) David Todd GOP Sen. Braun says abortion laws should be left up to states Klobuchar says 'best way' to protect abortion rights is to codify Roe v. Wade into law NIH director says it's 'possible' omicron will not be last emerging variant MORE that letting states should decide whether to enact abortion laws was a practical solution to a highly charged political issue. “When it comes to things like abortion, I think it's clear it's time to turn … [Read more...]

The Hawaiian Islands could face "catastrophic flooding" this week from a storm system moving over the archipelago, according to the National Weather Service in Honolulu . In an update on Sunday, the weather service said a "kona low," a type of seasonal cyclone in the Hawaiian Islands, would linger just west of Kauai with a slow westward drift until Wednesday. It warned that that the storm could bring "widespread heavy rainfall...capable of producing catastrophic flooding, and strong southwest winds." By early Monday morning, the weather service said flash flood warnings continued for a number of areas, including Kaunakakai, Ualapu’e and Mauna Loa. Meanwhile, a flash flood warning was extended for Maui, where video posted to social media on Sunday night showed heavy rains. A high wind warning was in effect for the summits Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island, as well as over over Haleakala on Maui through Monday morning, with wind speeds observed at nearly … [Read more...]

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new vaccine mandate for private companies Monday. He said it will take effect on Dec. 27. READ MORE: Negative COVID Test Needed To Enter U.S., As Officials Try To Slow Spread Of Omicron “We in New York City have decided to use a preemptive strike, to really do something bold to stop the further growth of COVID and the dangers it’s causing to all of us,” de Blasio said in an interview with MSNBC. “So as of today, we’re going to announce a first-in-the-nation measure. Our health commissioner will announce a vaccine mandate for private sector employers across the board.” COVID VACCINE New York State book online here or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX New York City book online here or call 877-VAX-4NYC Track NYC vaccinations by zip code Nassau County more info here Suffolk County more info here Westchester County more info here New Jersey book online here or call 1-855-568-0545 Connecticut book … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON — The United States Cyber Command is targeting individual Russian operatives to try to deter them from spreading disinformation to interfere in elections, telling them that American operatives have identified them and are tracking their work, according to officials briefed on the operation. The campaign, which includes missions undertaken in recent days, is the first known overseas cyberoperation to protect American elections, including the November midterms. The operations come as the Justice Department outlined on Friday a campaign of “information warfare” by Russians aimed at influencing the midterm elections, highlighting the broad threat the American government sees from Moscow’s influence campaign. Defense officials would not say how many individuals they were targeting, and they would not describe the methods that Cyber Command has used to send the direct messages to the operatives behind the influence campaigns. It is not clear if the information was … [Read more...]

Chinese intelligence agents acquired National Security Agency hacking tools and repurposed them in 2016 to attack American allies and private companies in Europe and Asia, a leading cybersecurity firm has discovered. The episode is the latest evidence that the United States has lost control of key parts of its cybersecurity arsenal. Based on the timing of the attacks and clues in the computer code, researchers with the firm Symantec believe the Chinese did not steal the code but captured it from an N.S.A. attack on their own computers — like a gunslinger who grabs an enemy’s rifle and starts blasting away. The Chinese action shows how proliferating cyberconflict is creating a digital wild West with few rules or certainties, and how difficult it is for the United States to keep track of the malware it uses to break into foreign networks and attack adversaries’ infrastructure. The losses have touched off a debate within the intelligence community over whether the United States … [Read more...]